PJ Harlowe
Max had surprised her with his oral attack on her body. She wasn’t ready. Damn, can a chick get a glass of water first? His mouth was driving her crazy, but she needed to slow things down. She didn’t really know him yet. He was gorgeous and she was starting to like him, but was that enough for her to fuck him? There would be repercussions if she decided not to see him again after they hooked up. One, he was her neighbor. Two, he was friends with Latti, and it would be virtually impossible to ghost him. She had to stop him before they went too far.
“Stop! Please, Max, I’m not ready.”
The man froze. She watched as he stood with disappointment in his eyes. He wasn’t angry like most men would have been. He looked uncomfortable with that huge bulge between his legs. Shit! It had been a while and that thing looked like a monster. Maybe she could have a little taste…
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have insinuated that I would sleep with you. I mean, I want to, but I think we need more time to know each other first.”
He took her by the hand and lead her into the apartment. Max switched on a lamp and gestured for her to sit on the couch.
“Can I offer you something to drink?”
“Do you have any tea?”
“Cold or hot?”
“Hot, definitely hot!”
He chuckled at her flirtation and disappeared into the kitchen to brew the tea. PJ took the time to look around the room. She was curious about the man who had her feelings all over the place. The living room was nice. Comfortable would be the adjective she would use to describe the vibe. It was totally the opposite of Latti’s place. It was obvious Max liked to relax when he was in his home.
There was a bookshelf full to the brim with books across the room. Her curiosity wouldn’t let her just sit there. She had to know what kind of book the sexy meteorologist liked to read. There were science books, which she had expected, but to her surprise, the rest of the library ranged from classic literature to romance. PJ plucked one of the romance books from the shelf and gasped at the cover. There was Max’s gorgeous face staring back at her, shirtless and showing every sinewy muscle he had in his torso. Oh my goodness!
Looking at that cover did things to her. PJ was starting to second guess her decision to take things slow. All she wanted to do now was push him down on that comfortable couch and ride him until he cried for mercy.
When he emerged from the kitchen, PJ was paging through the book that was lucky enough to have him on the cover. The book was a second chance romance and piqued her interest. She was well aware that cover models had nothing to do with the plots of books, but she had just gained another topic of conversation to bring up to this fascinating man.
“Please tell me you didn’t find the one book in my collection that I would rather you never saw.”
“If you mean the one with your manly muscles gracing the cover, then yes, I found it. Who knew you were a cover model?”
He shook his head, and a look of regret marred his face. “I’m not.”
“Well, it looks like you on this cover I am holding right here in my own two hands. Care to explain?”
“Here, come sit down and have your tea. Bring the book, if you must and I will tell you the tale of how I got roped into posing for a book cover.”
PJ hustled over to the couch, kicked off her shoes and folded her feet underneath her legs. With teacup in hand, she was ready to get all the deetz.
“Tell me everything.”
“Short story, my ex.”
She cocked her head and looked at him in confusion. It really wasn’t any of her business, but she was nosey and wanted to know. She almost felt bad for him because he looked like he would rather be doing anything except this.
“Oh hell no! You don’t get off that easy. I said all the deetz and that’s exactly what I meant. Spill.”
“Fine, but you have to promise me not to make a big deal about this.”
“Just tell me. I won’t blow things out of proportion. Wait, does Latti know about this?”
“No, and please don’t tell him.”
PJ nodded in agreement to keep him talking. She wouldn’t tell Latti, but if he happened to ‘accidentally’ stumble onto the book she wouldn’t be responsible. Max took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and then exhaled.
“This cover brings back bad memories. Things I have chosen to push out of my mind. I am a little sensitive when the subject is brought up. I don’t even know why I keep the book, except to remind me of her.